Curing in the Adirondacks

The 1870's marked the arrival of a then-unknown doctor named Edward Livingston Trudeau who moved to the Adirondacks in 1876. Trudeau suffered from tuberculosis and was hoping to find respite from the illness, which was sweeping the nation and had claimed his brother's life. He had grown to love the scenery and outdoor beauty of the Adirondacks, and he chose the area as a quiet place to settle down and live out what he believed would be his last days.

Strangely, Dr. Trudeau found much more than a peaceful retreat in the Adirondacks... he found a healthful cure for his tuberculosis! Trudeau spent his days resting and taking in the fresh, crisp mountain air. Expecting to live only a few months, Trudeau discovered renewed health and tubercular healing in the Adirondacks, living for many more years!

Dr. Trudeau opened the first "Cure Cottage" in Saranac Lake to treat tuberculosis sufferers: the Adirondack Cottage Sanitorium. The ill were given a place to rest and were exposed to plenty of fresh mountain air. News of Trudeau's success spread rapidly, and before long ill people from all over the world flocked to the village to "take the cure" in the Adirondacks. Saranac Lake quickly grew into a health resort for those seeking tubercular healing, and cure cottages sprung up throughout the village.

Trudeau organized the Saranac Laboratory for the Study of Tuberculosis, which was later renamed the Trudeau Institute. This was the first laboratory dedicated to studying tuberculosis, and the institute remains a center for the study of infectious diseases. The legacy of Trudeau's lifework continues in the present day Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake.